What You See
by freakin'applepie
Summary: Because being happy isn't always having you want. It's having what you need. Spoilers for 5.22 "Swan Song"


Sam stands in the middle of the street under the burnt-out lamppost and watches three people at a dinner table. He doesn't know how he got here or where Adam is, but—

"Adam is safe. Do not be concerned. All your questions will be answered in due time."

Sam twists in a split second, trying to see who is talking, but there is no one there.

"Look at your brother, Samuel. What do you see?"

Sam spins back and doesn't move. He barely breathes. But he looks.

Sam sees a man sitting with his family, eating with them, talking with them, laughing with them, smiling with them. He sees a man that loves the woman sitting next to him and the boy sitting across from him. He sees a man who finally has what he always wanted.

The voice, oh so familiar, asks again softly. "What do you see?"

"I see my brother, happy."

"You think so?"

In a whisper, Sam replies. "Yes."

The familiar voice sighs almost imperceptibly and continues. "What does one require to be happy, Samuel?

"A happy person is at peace with their life. They have what they want."

Sam can hear the smile in the voice as it speaks again. "Is that so? Tell me, Samuel, when was the last time you saw your brother happy?"

Silence reigns until Sam finally answers. "It was a few weeks ago. We were in the middle of nowhere, driving this old dirt road next to these open fields. The night was clear and you could see the stars for miles around. Dean stopped the car, grabbed the beer, and we sat on the front bumper of the Impala. We stayed there staring at the sky for hours without saying a word."

"How did your brother look then?"

"He looked… like he was at peace."

The voice strikes its point home. "Does he look like that now, Samuel? Look one more time. I want you to see him. _Truly_ see him."

Sam looks again. This time he sees.

Sam sees a man that has been broken, beaten down, and stomped on by fate. He sees a man who lost his mother and father in a fire and gained a drill sergeant and a responsibility. He sees a man who gave everything he had for a family that tore him down, brick by brick. He sees a man that died and went to hell and was tortured and suffered for _forty years,_ be it on the rack or off. He sees a man that stood by the brother that betrayed him, with an unwavering determination to save that brother, even at the cost of himself.

Sam sees a man that is tired, weary, and worn. He sees a man that is suffering and in pain, but fighting on, as always. He sees a man that still has a mission to complete, the promise of a damned little brother in hell to fulfill.

Sam sees a man that has sacrificed his purpose in life to save the world. Sam sees a hero.

Sam sees a man that deserves peace. But Sam does not see a man _at _peace.

"What do you see?" The voice asks one final time.

"I see my brother."

Sam has kept his eyes on Dean. His mother, father, teacher, protector, friend. His brother. He watches as Lisa, Ben, and Dean eat together, talk together, laugh together, smile together. But soon Lisa and Ben are gone, and only Dean remains at the table. He doesn't hide himself anymore because he thinks no one can see him. But Sam sees him. The promise he has made to his little brother is slowly killing him in a way that the demon, the deal, and the devil never could.

"You see, Samuel. Being happy isn't always having what we want. It's having what we _need_. What Ash implied in Heaven is correct. You two _are_ soulmates, in a certain respect, because you will always need him, and he shall always need you."

Sam hears shuffling behind him and faces the street once more to finally see the figure that has been speaking to him. Even through the darkness of the unlit streetlight, Sam can make out the wry grin of Chuck. And he understands.

"As a writer, I know that endings are hard. And as the writer of _this_ long and epic journey, I know for a fact that the all loyal fans out there will bitch if I don't give my main characters a happy ending." Chuck hands Sam the amulet with a pat on the shoulder and a smile. "Go to him, Sam. I, for one, can see that the two of you deserve some peace and happiness for once in your lives."

"But—"

"There'll be some loose ends to tie up and some plot holes to fill with the ending I've written for this tale. There will always be battles to fight and fuglies to kill, people to save and things to hunt. But then again, nothing ever really ends, does it?"

With a wink, Chuck is gone.

Sam turns back to the window in time to see Dean's eyes on him, full of hurt, confusion, and disbelief, but also so much full of hope that Sam's heart stutters before continuing its fast pace. Amulet in hand, heart in throat, and tears in eyes, Sam watches as Dean upends his chair to race through the room, out the door, and down the driveway.

Sam meets him on the sidewalk.

[The hug is too tight and there are far too many tears for theirs to truly be a reunion of Winchester men. But it is the best ending-but-not-really Sam and Dean could ask for. Because they have what they need: a home. A family. Each other. And, well, isn't that kinda the whole point?]


End file.
